Inspiration
by YesILikeEridan
Summary: Ichigo has found himself love-struck, but with whom? None other than the stoically handsome transfer student, Byukuya Kuchiki. Ichigo doesn't think his feelings could or should ever be returned, but he soon realises Byakuya's intentions are pure. Maybe together they can let go of their ghosts and thrive as the beautiful creatures they were meant to be. PM to adopt this fic!
1. Chapter 1

Ichigo let his thoughts wander as he stared up at the twinkling stars in the clear night sky. He felt the tickle of grass on the back of his neck and the slight dampness that had started to seep through his clothes. If he concentrated, he could just about hear the faint sounds of traffic coming from the nearby town.

As he lay on the damp ground, he thought of his life; of his sisters and father, of school and of his friends, but most of all he thought about Byakuya.

Ichigo felt a smile tug at his lips when the image of the cool-eyed transfer student entered his mind. He closed his eyes and focused on remembering every detail of his crush's face, from his beautifully pale skin to the ever present frown that seemed to be carved into his face.

Ichigo could put his hand to his heart and truthfully swear that he loved Byakuya. He knew it was more than a brief period of infatuation; he could _feel_ it. Every day he kept his feelings to himself they only seemed to grow stronger.

But Byakuya was far out of his league. Ichigo was not stupid enough to think he had half a chance with him. Byakuya was the son of the CEO of some important company. He was very well-to-do, rule abiding and sometimes so polite and stiff he came across as snobbish. He was incredibly handsome, with his silky black hair and chiselled features and had become incredibly popular with both girls and guys alike during his brief time in Karakura Town.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was the son of the owner of a small local clinic, and while it generated enough money for him and his family to live comfortably, it was nothing compared to the luxury Byakuya was surely used to.

Ichigo thought he was fairly average in the looks department. His bright orange hair was either an asset or a liability, depending on who was looking. He didn't think his face was _ugly_ per se, but he was often told how handsome he would be without the constant angry look he wore. He was in shape; he worked out often and enjoyed running and martial arts.

He wasn't aware, however, that he was also quite popular and had quite a few admirers. Some people thought that his hot-headedness was sexy. And Ichigo could get so passionate sometimes, girls especially liked that and many fantasised about him being that worked up about _them_.

Ichigo stole a glance at his watch and decided that it was time for him to head home. He dragged himself to his feet and brushed himself down before meandering through the sparse trees that his little clearing was surrounded by.

After he broke away from the trees he jogged slowly to his bike. It was a cool night and his breath formed little clouds. Soon it would be too cold for him to go up to the clearing at all; winter had just come around and Ichigo hated the flu with a fiery passion.

He undid the lock to the chain that held his bike to a fence that overlooked a slight cliff. He folded the chain into the basket attached to the handlebars and hopped onto his bike before pedalling his way towards the sounds of the town.

Ichigo had slid on a high-vis jacked before mounting his bicycle, but hadn't bothered with a helmet. He didn't have one that fitted him properly, and anyway, the chances of him having an accident were incredibly slim.

He navigated his way down a winding path until he came to a crossroads. Here, Ichigo took a left turn and cycled past the houses and scarce shops that had been built on the outskirts of Karakura Town.

It wasn't long until he reached the door of his house. He stowed his bicycle away around the back of the house and quietly crept inside the front door. He mentally thanked Yuzu for leaving the door unlocked for him.

All the lights were out and he could hear his father's loud snores coming from the floor above. A quick glance at the clock in the kitchen told him it was well past ten o'clock.

Ichigo slid his shoes off and silently climbed the stairs to get ready for bed. He had school the following morning and quite a few winter tests to boot.

Usually the exams were left until the week before the holidays, but since many students were absent during that time for whatever reason in upcoming years, it was decided that they would be moved forward. This meant that Ichigo had had a lot less time to prepare for them, which in turn meant that now he was more stressed and short tempered than usual.

Ichigo felt his previously relaxed shoulders begin to tense up. He sighed and slid between the covers on his bed. He was just about to fall asleep when he got a text.

He groaned and unlocked his phone. It told him that it was now quarter past eleven.

_Who the hell is texting me now? I was just about to fall asleep._

Ichigo groaned again when he saw that it was from Rukia. She wanted a place to crash for the night, and was apparently waiting outside the house.

"One second" Ichigo had texted back, and he made his way down the stairs to let her in.

"Thank you Ichigo!" she had exclaimed enthusiastically, and Ichigo hadn't wasted any time in whispering at her to shut up.

They were both used to this routine. Rukia lived with her sister, both of whom had moved into a house a few blocks away a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, Hisana – Rukia's sister – was ill and she often had overnight stays at the hospital. Sometimes Rukia was fine by herself, but other times she needed company, even if it was just to take her mind off of things.

Whenever the need arose, she slept on a spare futon that had been set up in Ichigo's rather spacious closet. It allowed them both a bit of privacy without either of them being completely alone.

The two were best friends; they understood each other and could empathise no matter what the situation, but at the same time neither of them were afraid to call the other out on their bullshit and give them a push (or a lot of the time, a punch) in the right direction.

After Rukia had been settled comfortably in the closet with her stuffed bunny, Ichigo switched off the light and climbed into his own bed.

The two drifted off quickly, and Ichigo's dreams were filled with all manners of things; from food to frogs to felons. The only thing they all had in common was that they always contained Byakuya, smiling his rare smile and simply _being_ with Ichigo.

The ones with Byakuya were always Ichigo's favourite dreams.

**A/N yay! New story. **

**This story is pretty much an 'everyone's human and somehow attending the same school in some way or another' AU. **

**There will be smut in future chapter(s) as soon as I get around to writing them, but it will probably be a while before that happens, mainly because of school and the fact that MY CHRISTMAS EXAMS ARE THIS WEEK AND I AM DYING.**

**My school pretty much decided to do what Ichigo's school did. People were missing the last week of school so they moved the exams forward giving me about A MONTH LESS TIME TO STUDY. It also meant that we had to fly through the criteria. **

**In short, I am fucked. I have my German, science and English exams tomorrow and I literally don't know any of the stuff. Goodbye higher level, hello pass class.**

**Anyways, I do not own Bleach or any of the characters, only the faint hints of a plot.**

**Please review and follow/favourite, I'd love to hear what you guys think about the new jumble of words that I have decided to call a story.**

**Thank you for reading and putting up with my rant about school :o) **

**Wow this author's note is really long. Cookies for you for reading this far! **


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo groaned as he reached to silence his alarm clock. Shakily, he got to his feet and headed to the bathroom, where he quickly got ready for school. After a quick shower, Ichigo felt ready to tackle the day.

He pulled back the door to his closet and shook Rukia awake. She was adorable; her small frame was curled around her stuffed bunny and her hair was fluffed up all over the place.

"Go 'way, Ichigo" she mumbled and turned over, digging her face into the pillow.

"Rukia come on! We're going to be late and we have exams today. Hurry up!" Ichigo let out an exasperated sigh and closed the door. He busied himself with getting dressed and stuffing the books he needed for the day into his bag.

He was half way through his breakfast by the time Rukia joined him. She fixed herself a meal and the two ate in silence before cleaning up and heading out the door on their way to school. It was a nice day; a bit cool perhaps, but it was dry and the sky was clear and blue.

They passed by Rukia's house on their way, and she quickly grabbed her school bag and slipped into her uniform before they continued on their tedious walk to hell- I mean school.

They talked about meaningless things; who was going out with whom, who was hot, and to Ichigo's disappointment, the release of some new 'Chappy the Bunny' merchandise that Rukia was obsessed with.

The duo met up with their friends at the entrance to the school. Orihime, Chad and Renji had been talking about something or other and shelved their discussions to greet Ichigo and Rukia. Everyone seemed pretty uneasy about the exams they would be taking; Renji nervously twirled his bright red hair between his fingers, Orihime babbled and Chad was fiddling with his hands. Uryu was nowhere to be seen, and Ichigo noticed this.

"Hey guys, isn't Uryu usually here by now?" he inquired. As he did so, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he was contemplating some great mystery.

"Oh, he came really early today and he's already inside. I bet he's studying in the classroom. Oh God, I should have studied more! I'm going to fail-why is maths so hard? I should have paid more attention why did I doodle through class," came the longwinded-and somewhat hysterical-reply from Orihime.

Rukia patted her back comfortingly, "You'll be fine, you always do really well. Just relax."

Many deep breaths later Orihime seemed much calmer, though her fingers drummed against her thigh restlessly.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm freezing my tits off here. I'm going inside," Renji's voice broke through the silence, and with a giggle from Orihime the gang headed inside the building.

After a trip to their respective lockers, the five met up in their homeroom where Uryu was in fact studying.

The pale fingers of his left hand cupped a page in his text book, while the index of his right hand followed under the words he had marked in a pale blue highlighter. His expression was impossible to make out; what wasn't masked by his glasses was covered by the silky strands of his hair which had fallen in front of his face.

Uryu looked up from the book as he sensed the others grouping around his desk.

After a period of idle chatter, Uryu went back to studying and Orihime followed suit, pulling a massive maths text book from her bag. Ichigo wondered how she had managed to lug the thing around with her. It really was massive.

Rukia had managed to trick Chad into a conversation about Chappy the Bunny, so Ichigo settled at his desk and contented himself with staring out the window. That was, until a certain someone entered the classroom.

Ichigo felt a faint blush form on his cheeks as the object of his affections entered the classroom and seated himself. He had opted not to wear his usual hair clips and so his dark locks cascaded down to frame his face. Byakuya's icy eyes surveyed the room as though he were looking for someone.

'_Probably looking for Yoruichi' _Ichigo thought as he followed the movement of Byakuya's eyes. He jumped slightly and hurriedly lowered his head when Byakuya's pale blue eyes met with his own. '_Crap he caught me looking. Maybe he won't realise I was staring? Crap crapity crap crap crap.'_

Ichigo's mind went into overdrive and there was a very noticeable pink hue painted on his cheeks. He laid his head down on his desk in an attempt to mask his embarrassment, but little did he know that Byakuya was scrutinising his every move.

Byakuya was watching very closely out of the corner of his eye and when he saw Ichigo bang his head on the table repeatedly, the tiniest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He could just about see the now fire-truck-red blush on Ichigo's cheeks as the boy's head rested on the table.

'_That stupid boy has probably given himself a concussion.' _He pondered the chances of such a thing happening. It was highly unlikely that a person could do such harm just by knocking their cranium on a wooden surface, but then again, it was Ichigo he was thinking about. Byakuya honestly wouldn't put anything past him at this stage.

Byakuya sighed and tore his gaze from Ichigo as the teacher entered the room and started taking attendance.

There were more than a few moans and groans as students were handed out booklets which told them to go to certain rooms for their different exams. Byakuya was one of the few people who had bothered to prepare properly for the tests, and so he was unaffected by the relocation.

One thing caught his mind, however.

On the little leaflet of test times and such, it came to his attention that they would be in pairs for certain exams, and who else would he happen to be paired with but the boy that seemed to catch his attention so remarkably, Ichigo Kurosaki.

Maybe the day wouldn't be as boring as he had thought.

**A/N this took forever. I am so sorry, I had it done but then I kept trying to add stuff on to make the ending less crappy and I kept on changing my mind and so this took weeks to upload.**

**Please don't kill me.**

**I do not own Bleach or any of the characters (I don't know why we even do these, if I owned the damned thing everyone would be gay af).**

**A special thank you to my beta dancing elf.**

**Thank you for the kind reviews solka and the guest whom I do not know the username of. They made my whole week when I read them :) **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to review and stuff. I promise updates will be more timely (and longer) in future.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ichigo stared at the booklet in his hands, unable to believe what it told him. For a grand total of three exams he would be working side by side with Byakuya Kuchiki who just happened to be the current object of his affections.

His first exam was maths, and it was every man for himself as far as that was concerned. Ichigo slung his bag across his shoulder and headed to the allotted exam room. He tried not to, but his eyes still found their way to Byakuya's stoic face as he stood up and gathered his belongings.

Ichigo wasn't sure if he really saw it or if he was just imagining things, but he could've sworn that he caught Byakuya's eye as he stood up, and that a slight smirk graced his usually expressionless face.

Ichigo shook his head as he entered the exam room and took his seat near the back window. He watched the clouds for a minute until someone plonked themselves down in the seat beside him. It was a rather nervous looking Renji, who as soon as he sat down pulled out a textbook and started flicking through the pages, trying to take in even an ounce of extra information.

Ichigo would have done the same if he could have been bothered. He was confident enough that he knew what he needed to know and he was too busy thinking about those paired exams to be worrying about the one that was less than minutes away from starting.

They were to be paired for chemistry, English and home economics. Ichigo was especially glad that he would not be forced to go through the hellish English exam unaided. He had always found foreign languages hard, but he had worked his ass off and had managed to get good grades regardless.

His musings were interrupted when the teacher entered the badly heated classroom and handed out the test papers, notifying the students that if they turned them over early they would be docked marks. Ichigo felt a sudden bout of nervousness rise in his chest as the teacher signalled for them to begin, but pushed it aside and turned over his paper. He quickly scribbled down his name and class and set out solving his simultaneous equations and badly written word problems.

The hour long exam passed quickly. Ichigo finished with five minutes to spare and spent that time diligently looking over his answers for any mistakes. He handed in his paper when the overseer- I mean teacher called for the end of exam time. He left the room feeling happy with himself, which others saw as the absence of the signature scowl that usually graced his- rather handsome- features.

A quick glance at his booklet told Ichigo that he was to head to his homeroom for a study period before his next test, which was the much dreaded English exam.

The following hour was eerily quiet; many of the usual shuffles and coughs were not present as half the class was partaking in a music exam. Ichigo guessed that Byakuya was included in that group as he was nowhere to be seen, though Yoruichi was sitting at the back flipping through a textbook and looking rather bored.

The bell _finally_ went and Ichigo pushed his way through the crowded hallways to get to the correct class. He was one of the first to arrive, and was greeted by the slightly temperamental but none the less aesthetically pleasing Miss Rangiku Matsumoto, who was coincidentally his English teacher.

Byakuya was already sitting at a double desk near the back, and after quickly glancing down at his booklet to be absolutely sure that this was happening, Ichigo wound his way carefully through the haphazardly (dis)organised desks and sat carefully on the seat next to Byakuya's.

A silence ensued as the two waited for the exam to begin. When all the seats were filled, Miss Matsumoto handed out the tests and told them to begin.

Ichigo tried to ignore the worry that was clawing at his gut, both from the stress of the exam and the fact that his long time crush was sitting right next to him, and if they wanted to pass this class they would have to actively engage in conversation.

Seeing that Ichigo was making no move to do so, Byakuya opened the test and wrote their names in the space provided. Ichigo couldn't help but admire his handwriting. It was elegant and had a certain _flow _to it. So much so that it held a remarkable resemblance with the calligraphy found in ancient texts and such.

Ichigo snapped out of his daze as he felt himself being stared at. Piercing grey eyes examined his chocolate ones, and he felt himself blush.

"Stop staring," Ichigo managed to grumble out his disapproval of being under the other man's scrutinous gaze.

Byakuya looked away, and for the second time Ichigo thought he caught the hint of a smirk on those wondrous lips.

Byakuya started to fill in the answers. Not once did he ask Ichigo for his opinion on something, and the exceptional lack of cooperation started to irritate the brown eyed boy.

Unable to sit in the quiet any longer, Ichigo grabbed the test sheet form under Byakuya's hands and examined the questions.

Ichigo ignored the elegant eyebrow that was raised in his direction. He may have found the subject difficult, but he would not let himself get a grade because of someone else's work. If he didn't at least _try _to help he would feel incredibly guilty and would probably end up feeling like shit.

After Ichigo wrote down a few answers, Byakuya pointed at number six.

"You've made a mistake here." He didn't sound like he was judging or trying to put Ichigo down, he was simply pointing out a mistake.

Ichigo reread the question a couple of times. After the third time he had still not found his error. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration as his eyebrows knitted together.

Seeing his partner in such a restless state, Byakuya decided it was time to explain the answer to him.

"For this question you need to turn the verbs into their three tenses. The past tense of 'cut' is 'cut'. There is no e-d."

Ichigo looked up from his hands and read the question once more. He flashed Byakuya a thankful smile and busied himself with changing the answer on the page.

He didn't see Byakuya look away and clench his fist underneath the table.

If he was honest with himself- and he did try to be honest- Byakuya would have admitted to himself that he was going to have a hard time sitting through the remaining 40 minutes without making some sort of move on Ichigo.

This one time, honesty was not the first thing on his mind.

**A/N: So there you have it, chapter three. It took so god damned long is the only problem.**

**I have not abandoned A New Beginning *whispers* yet, but I am out of ideas for the time being so it is on hiatus.**

**I realise that everyone is a little ooc and that this fic is taking forever to get moving, but I might maybe sort of probably have a plan for the next few chapters.**

**Anyways, adios for now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter :3 Thank you for all the favourites and follows, they mean a lot 3**

**As always, please review :o)**


	4. Chapter 4

Byakuya couldn't help but stare at Ichigo as he worked diligently on the English questions. The orange haired teen struggled with a few of them, but Byakuya was more than happy to lean in close and remedy his mistakes.

Ichigo had the adorable habit of chewing his lip when he was thinking. More than once he blew his hair out of his face in frustration, letting Byakuya catch a glimpse of his overly concentrated features.

Byakuya couldn't help but think about how cute he was. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear Ichigo ask for his opinion on one of the more difficult questions. He snapped to attention quickly, and after a few minutes of discussion Ichigo thanked him with a shy smile and carefully wrote down the answer.

Byakuya had to turn away so Ichigo would not catch the expression of want that had somehow managed to paint itself on his usually poised and stoic features. He could feel the light blush that had tainted his cheeks and took deep breaths in the hope that it would rid him of the flushed feeling. Damn Ichigo for smiling at him like that.

In his mind he was acting like a love struck fool, and he was not one bit happy about that. But no matter what he tried to convince himself, the stubborn feelsy part of his brain would not let up on the fact that he had it bad for the boy working away next to him.

Byakuya was torn from his fruitless attempt at arguing with himself by a light tapping on his arm. He turned to Ichigo, and before his exam partner could say anything, he plucked the pen from his fingers without as much as a word. Ichigo looked at him with an expression of slight surprise and unhidden annoyance as Byakuya began to quickly fill in the remaining blank spaces with his impossibly neat calligraphy.

Gone was the look of content concentration that Ichigo had been unknowingly wearing through the exam. In its place was a scowl that could turn milk sour, and it was directed at that pompous asshole Byakuya Kuchiki.

Ichigo grabbed his partner's wrist and stole back his pen. He took the paper and turned away from his crush, thinking to complete the test with it resting on his lap.

Now, Byakuya was never one to act on impulse. He was quite the opposite in fact; all of his actions were usually thought through and carefully calculated.

The knowledge of what he usually did did nothing to influence the way he lifted Ichigo onto his lap and pushed the exam paper back onto the desk as Miss Rangiku Matsumoto looked on with an amused expression.

Unaware of his teacher's gaze, Byakuya then took Ichigo's hand in his own and removed the pen from his grasp. He rested his chin on Ichigo's head and proceeded to complete the test before reading it over quickly and turning it over.

Ichigo was panicking silently in the lap of his crush. His face was red with embarrassment and he was sure he could hear the other students whispering about his current predicament.

He was convinced that Byakuya knew how he felt about him and was toying with him, teasing someone who didn't have a chance.

Anger bubbled up in his chest. He felt his eyes begin to water, but he pushed the tears back. He hadn't cried in years and he was not about to start now. His fist clenched unconsciously and he had the sudden urge to make sure that Byakuya left the exam room with a few less of his perfect teeth.

But he couldn't hurt him.

No matter how angry he was, Ichigo couldn't ever bring himself to hit Byakuya.

He was drawn out of his despair by a pair of strong arms winding around his waist.

Ichigo closed his eyes tight. This really was getting too much for him. If Byakuya didn't let up on him soon, he was sure he would burst into tears. He didn't trust himself to speak, or even look at his persecutor for that matter.

He started to tremble and Byakuya noticed almost immediately.

The black haired man snapped out of whatever stupor had possessed him to hold the other teen in such and intimate way and carefully lifted him off his lap and into the adjacent chair.

"Sorry."

Ichigo's red face snapped up at the apology, and he looked questioningly at Byakuya. He still didn't trust himself to speak.

Byakuya repeated his short apology and turned away to busy himself with checking over their test.

At this stage, Ichigo was feeling incredibly hard done by. He was sure that Byakuya's apology was sincere, but... why did he cradle him like that in the first place? At the beginning of the exam he wasn't even willing to let Ichigo help him on the test. What did it mean? Was... did Byakuya like him?

When the bell rang signalling the end of the exam Ichigo high tailed it out of there. He didn't even make sure the test was handed in. The need to get out of the stuffy room was so great he almost tripped himself up on the way to the door.

As he handed in the test, Miss Matsumoto stopped Byakuya and told him to wait.

Byakuya sighed but did as he was told; he had a free period next anyway while a materials technology exam was taking place.

Rangiku was a friend of his family. She had had an annoying presence in his life since before he could remember and she had the uncanny habit of butting into his affairs and giving him unneeded and useless advice.

When the last student had left the room, Rangiku closed the door and hurried back to where Byakuya was standing.

"So, the Kurosaki kid, huh?" she inquired with a smirk.

"I do not see how this is any concern of yours," Byakuya replied coolly.

"Oh don't be like that! Come on Bya-kun, please tell me," Rangiku pleaded with a false pout. Byakuya shuddered at the use of his nick name. He hated it with a passion. Hearing it made him feel physically sick.

"If I tell you will you promise to never refer to me as 'Bya-kun' again," he asked dryly. It pained him to do so, but he had managed to spit the cutesy name out.

"Pinkie promise!" came the enthusiastic response. Byakuya was pretty sure that his teacher was drunk. Again. Hopefully, that would mean she wouldn't remember the conversation they were about to have.

He sighed and resigned himself to his fate. Rangiku was bouncing on her heels as Byakuya 'described' what was going on with Ichigo.

He felt like he would have to wash his ears out with bleach after Rangiku lectured him on the importance of using lube and ... you do not even want to know.

Rangiku's into some seriously kinky shit.

**A/N gaaaaaahhhh I am dying. I am plagued by some stubborn disease, I have had it for a week at this stage and it shows no sign of letting up. Yay.**

**And I still have to go to school, I've already missed way too many days. I missed a big chunk of school to attend a funeral oversees and I get sick easily and often so... yeah. I'm feeling well and truly sorry for myself. To top it off I haven't been able to go to my youth group for two weeks straight because my brother has had dentist appointments. I miss it, it's the only place I feel comfortable being around a large group of people. **

**Well, end vent.**

**I apologise for any errors, grammatical or otherwise. I had trouble writing for Rangiku, she's not a character I ever read too much into but I have recently found a love for her and so she will feature in this fic (and maybe others) in the future.**

**I do not own Bleach. Unfortunately.**

**Thank you for reading this fic and the rather large authors note. I really do appreciate all the support.**

**Thank you Erudite Elephant for the lovely review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :3**

***Insert customary plea for you to review***


	5. Chapter 5

Ichigo sighed and slammed his head down on his desk. He had finished his woodwork exam in a flash; he found the subject easy and he already had a guaranteed C just from completing his project. It felt nice for him to have a bit of relaxation time after the hellish exam he had previously had to sit through.

Byakuya Kuchiki had hugged him. Anyone else would be ecstatic, but Ichigo couldn't think of any possible reality in which Byakuya genuinely liked him back. The orange haired teen had managed to convince himself that his crush was playing a cruel game with his feelings, a game in which Ichigo could never come out on top.

Ichigo's thoughts wandered back to what it felt like to have those strong eyes wrapped around his waist. For a few seconds he felt... protected, it was almost as though his whole body had spontaneously decided to relax. That was before he realised he was being played.

"What a fucking idiot," Ichigo mumbled to himself as he banged his head off the table.

Yoruichi seemed to notice this from her desk a few seats across. Yoruichi was... friendly? She was honestly a good person and tried to help people out whenever she could, but Ichigo had been to a few parties and she... had a tendency to get naked. There probably wasn't a person in the class who hadn't seen Yoruichi topless at that stage, and she wasn't even embarrassed.

Ichigo looked up when he felt a wad of paper hit the back of his head. He saw Yoruichi wink at him before she turned away and began to fiddle with her pen.

The note read: "you having some love troubles over there strawberry XD if you keep whacking your head against the desk you're gonna break it :3"

Ichigo groaned and scowled at the girl. She had pretty much hit the nail on the head, even if she was only teasing.

He quickly scribbled a reply on the back side of the paper.

"Fuck you. And my head is fine thank you very much"

"Woah defensive much? And I meant you're gonna break the desk with that thick head of yours"

Ichigo's brows furrowed at the insult.

"Well at least I don't have a fucking cat fetish"

Yoruichi read the note a couple of times, each time Ichigo could see her becoming increasingly angrier.

Yoruichi's family ran an animal shelter and the girl could often be seen caring for the cats, as the rest of her family didn't like them that much. She let the cats that wanted to climb practically _all _over her, and that was where the joke originated from.

Yoruichi herself didn't find it in the least bit funny; it was one of the few things that were always guaranteed to piss the purple haired girl off.

"I don't see what Byakuya sees in you I honestly fucking don't. Fucked up orange haired piece of shit"

As soon as she threw the note she knew she had made a mistake. Byakuya would fucking kill her if he found out what she had written, it was their secret that he liked Ichigo.

"Ichigo, don't read it!" Yoruichi whispered as he was about to unfold it.

"Why the fuck not?" he retorted and was just about to flick it open when the teacher plucked it from his fingers.

Ichigo jumped a mile high. He hadn't heard Mr. Urahara come up behind him, and he was scared out of his skin.

"Hmmm, what's this now? Passing notes during an exam, that's a bit of an offense strawberry," the blond man teased.

Ichigo's brows furrowed further at the use of his detested nickname.

"My name is Ichigo, Mr Hat and Clogs and I've already handed my paper up."

"So? Maybe the person you were conversing with wasn't finished. Now let's see what we have here..."

Before the blond teacher had a chance to read it Yoruichi jumped up and grabbed it. She didn't hesitate before shoving it into her mouth and swallowing it whole.

The rest of the class burst into laughter as she coughed and then licked her lips. She winked at Urahara before sitting back down.

"Well, that solves the mystery of whom you were talking with. Since you've both already handed your papers up I won't dock you, but next time I catch you passing notes you'll be punished." With that Mr. Urahara walked back to his desk and plopped himself down. He popped a sweet in his mouth from the stash he had hidden in the inner pocket he had in his sleeve.

Yoruichi sighed and leaned back in her chair. Ichigo shot her a questioning glance but she ignored it and laid her head on her desk.

Crisis: averted.

Byakuya sat in his homeroom and twiddled his thumbs as he waited for his next exam to come around. Unfortunately, it was another of those damned paired exams. Chemistry this time. How ironic.

Byakuya was a naturally observant person, and he had noticed Ichigo's reaction. Maybe Byakuya's feelings weren't as one sided as he had previously thought.

The bell rang and he made it his goal to find out what kind of chemistry they had between them.

Byakuya rolled his eyes at himself for thinking something so damned cheesy. Yoruichi would have gotten a laugh out of that... oh yeah, Yoruichi. He had almost forgotten about his best friend. She was good at relationships and people, wasn't she?

Maybe she could offer some sort of insight into what he should do. Expressing feelings wasn't exactly Byakuya's strong point.

Byakuya pushed into the science room and sat down near the back this time. Gin Ichimaru was not his favourite teacher in the world, and he hoped to execute his plan without the interference of the snake like man.

He flicked through his book absent mindedly as he waited for Ichigo to enter. When he did, Byakuya put his book away and glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

Ichigo kept his head down and only looked at Byakuya when he thought he wasn't looking.

The red head seemed more nervous than Byakuya had thought he would be.

'_This is going to be harder than I thought."_

**A/N ... so this sucks.**

**Sorry for the long wait. I have a few one shots planned out and the plot for another multi chapter fic swimming around in my head.**

**So yeah, I'm not dead yet.**

**Emphasis on yet.**

**I don't have a beta- only spellcheck- so I apologise for any errors.**

**Sayonara people of indeterminate gender. **

**WAIT A SECOND! Special thanks to the wonderful reviewer Stormglass and the guest that left lovely comments :3 Love both of you.**


	6. Chapter 6

Ichigo was in hell.

Well, he was at school, which was pretty much the same thing except there's only one Satan in hell and they probably serve better food there too. It wouldn't be hard.

He was also feeling rather conflicted. One part of his mind was still all like '_hey, look there's Byakuya frickin' Kuchiki, the hottest bastard in town who actually smells really good right now,' _and the other part was going _'why did I ever think I had a chance with someone like him? He hates me and he's playing with me and I wish the ground would split open and swallow me up.'_

There was also a tiny, tiny, _tiny _part of his brain that was actually thinking about chemistry, which he was about to be tested in. Unfortunately, no one was paying much attention to it so it wandered off and started humming.

While Ichigo was blushing and trying not to look at him, Byakuya was still thinking of how to woo the red head. The direct approach was definitely the best, but maybe this time it would be wiser to be direct with words rather than easily misinterpreted actions.

That was what Rangiku had said anyway, and that woman knows her shit, she said so herself.

Byakuya decided to wait until the exam started, so everyone would be preoccupied and they wouldn't draw too much attention to themselves.

About ten minutes into the exam Byakuya made his move.

"Hey, Ichigo," he tapped the red head's shoulder as he said it to get his attention.

"Yeah?" Ichigo kept his head down as he hurriedly filled the blanks on the exam paper.

"I need to tell you something."

Ichigo's heart leapt into his mouth. "I'm listening," he mumbled.

Byakuya gently turned Ichigo's head so their eyes met. Ichigo's face was red, it had been for much of the day, but now the colour had been renewed it seemed to almost glow.

"I like you," Byakuya said sincerely as his grey eyes which were usually so cold shone with truth and affection.

The chocolate eyed youth gulped noticeably as the words sunk in and his eyes looked everywhere but at Byakuya.

"I... um, I... yeah," _real smooth there Ichigo, real smooth._

Byakuya cracked a small smile, "you don't have to say anything to me now. Think about it though, yeah?"

Ichigo nodded his head as a huge smile spread over his lips, and brows began to relax.

"For now let's just focus on the exam."

With that the two worked together on the remainder of the exam before turning it in at the end of exam time.

The boys shared an awkward and less than graceful goodbye before they departed, each with a smile on their face.

Yoruichi clicked her pen as she tried to figure out why Byakuya was smiling. He didn't do it often, especially in public. She supposed it was all because of his thrilling yet depressing background which led to him becoming the emo prince of death glares.

Yoruichi needed answers, and by God would she get them. Byakuya was a habitual bottler and was stingy with information about his personal life, even with his best friend.

This time, Yoruichi would find out the truth.

Few people knew that Yoruichi was trained in many martial arts. Her cat like stealth came in handy, and she employed this skill while hiding behind some lockers, lying in wait for her unsuspecting prey.

As soon as her target - who had managed to avoid her for two whole exams - came around the corner she pounced, and used her momentum to push both of them into the disabled toilets.

Byakuya had let out a grunt as he was propelled backwards, but didn't put up a fight when he realised who his assailant was.

"What is it now, Yoruichi?" he stated coolly. But less coolly than usual, and with just a hint of colour in his pale cheeks.

"You're really freaking smiley today and you haven't told me why. It's pissing me off."

"I do apologise, but I don't remember signing the contract which stated I must disclose every ounce of information about my personal life to you," the smiley asshole replied.

Yoruichi meant business. "Byakuya Kuchiki, tell me why the fuck you are so happy or I'll shove my foot so far up your ass you'll be tasting toenails."

"Okay, okay, calm yourself. You'll never believe what happened," Byakuya seemed... excited? That was most definitely not normal.

"Come on man, I'm dying over here."

"I told Ichigo I like him, and I think he likes me back."

Ichigo's foot tapped restlessly against the ground as he waited for the bell to go. Next up was another free class and he needed to tell Rukia all about what had happened that day.

He had been itching to tell someone for the last two hours, but he hadn't been able to sit near enough any of his friends to even attempt conversation.

When the bell _finally _rang, Ichigo practically ran to room number three, only to find Rukia sitting at the back of the class talking with Oriheme.

'_Perfect.'_

Ichigo dragged a chair over to where the girls were sitting and greeted them with a smile.

Oriheme and Rukia shared an almost puzzled look at seeing the scowly face they knew so well twisted into such a massive smile. Ichigo looked angelic. Neither girl liked it.

"You'll never guess what guys," Ichigo began. His fingers unconsciously drummed against his thigh as he anticipated the reaction of his great reveal.

"What is it Ichigo?" Oriheme asked with a smile of her own as Rukia rolled her eyes at the two red heads.

"Byakuya told me he likes me!" Ichigo blurted out.

Rukia slammed her hands down on the table, earning a few stares.

"Are you kidding me!? Ichigo that's great!"

The two continued to babble on about it as Oriheme stared at Ichigo. Every time she heard _his_ name come from Ichigo's lips her heart broke a little more.

She had always wished he would say her name with such a loving and passion filled voice, but now that honour belonged to another.

'_There never was a girl more foolish than one who falls in love with her best friend.'_

**A/N hey, sup?**

**I have returned at long last, to write more crappy fanfiction and bitch about my life in the author's notes.**

**I apologise for the extremely long wait for this chapter- which really isn't that good, considering that it's just gone 2am and I don't have a beta *hint, hint***

**Yeah, if anyone feels like they want to beta this story please PM me and stuff because I've gotten a bit lazy (as is quite evident) and I really feel like this story's future chapters could benefit from a second opinion before they go online.**

**Thank you all for reading; and a special thanks to all the wonderful people who reviewed any of my stories during my absence. You guys are what convinced me to get my ass into gear and start writing again. I really cannot thank you enough.**

**So long, and thanks for all the fish, much love Ro-chan 3**


	7. Chapter 7

**[There's a truck load of swearing in this chapter (as usual ^0^).]**

Ichigo smiled as he walked home.

Ichigo smiled as he ate dinner.

Ichigo smiled as he showered, and as he got into bed.

Ichigo smiled in his sleep and woke up with rainbows and goodwill shooting from his asshole.

Select few knew why Ichigo was smiling, but most just guessed that he got his hands on some good weed.

Oriheme couldn't smile.

She was normally so good at faking it even if she was feeling like shit, but this was too much even for her. None of her friends really seemed to notice; maybe they just didn't want to know about her pain. Maybe they didn't want to have to deal with her sadness. They all seemed much happier fawning over Ichigo and his new found love.

Oriheme sighed as she stirred her pot full of... stuff. She couldn't even remember what she'd put in it, not that it mattered. Part of Oriheme wanted to scream and cry and throw a tantrum, but a bigger part of her didn't want to make her friends worry. She didn't want to stress them out with her trivial problems and she certainly didn't want to come off as selfish or bitchy.

She just wanted to be happy.

Ichigo confessed to Byakuya the next day. For some reason the dark haired boy was more rigid than the day before, more unsure of himself. Byakuya had been the image of practised charm and confidence just the day before, but now it was like a switch had flipped and he was back to hiding behind stoicism and indifference.  
Ichigo had, of course, been incredibly nervous even though he had already gotten a confession. Both were put out of their misery when Ichigo's confession came. They hugged awkwardly and smiled at each other before walking off to get coffee.

Their baby fingers brushed together as they walked. Ichigo hadn't looked that happy since before his mother died.

Rukia was torn. She was so happy for Ichigo she could barely shut up about it. At the same time however, she wasn't happy for _herself_, or for Oriheme whom she noticed had slumped since the beginning of Ichigo's infatuation with Byakuya.

Rukia loved all her friends. She couldn't admit it – not even to Ichigo- but she loved Oriheme a little more. Seeing her so distraught over Ichigo killed her, and so she did her best to avoid the pretty orange haired girl. She knew it was selfish and that Oriheme needed a friend right now, but Rukia couldn't bring herself to look into her pained eyes. She wasn't strong enough to confess to Oriheme either. She could beat the shit out of boys twice her size but she was too scared and weak to tell the girl that she loved her. It was because she knew that the red head wouldn't feel the same.

Rukia began to hate herself for her cowardice, her weakness.

A new week rolled around and with it brought another week of torture. School was beginning to slow down as the holidays neared, and there wasn't much work to be done.

Ichigo and Byakuya were still nervous around each other. Byakuya either tried to hide behind indifference or was so disgustingly lovey-dovey it made Yoruichi want to puke. Ichigo on the other hand was a constant blushing mess. Whether or not that blush was accompanied by a scowl depended on the situation. The week passed like so:

On Monday there still wasn't any real physical contact between them, apart from the occasional brush of hands.

On Tuesday the two met before school started so they could walk in together. Ichigo steeled himself and grabbed Byakuya's hand. He scowled and looked at his feet as the dark haired boy raised an eyebrow at him. Byakuya was happy though, and he gave Ichigo's hand a squeeze as they passed through the school gates.

Wednesday came with rain, and the two were forced to huddle together under an umbrella as they made their way to school. Ichigo had _forgotten_ his umbrella and was once again amazed by how great Byakuya smelled. Although he had made a fuss about it, Byakuya actually enjoyed their closeness and was struck by the loss he felt when the strawberry moved away after they got inside. Yoruichi seemed to sense this and had a field day teasing her friend.

Byakuya kissed Ichigo on the cheek on Thursday, and both boys were frankly a bit surprised by this. They were alone clearing up the classroom after hours and Byakuya had just... gone for it. It had been Yoruichi's advice, and as always it was sound. Neither of them noticed Oriheme watching them from the door. She left quickly without the book she had returned to school to retrieve.

On Friday the two walked into class holding hands. They had become infinitely more comfortable around one another, and both looked happier – more human. They left school with promises of a date to the movies the following afternoon and another kiss to the cheek, from Ichigo this time. Oriheme had to look away and Rukia bit the inside of her cheek as she looked at the girl's pained expression. Renji wolf-whistled, as per his nature, and dodged the book Ichigo chucked at his head. Uryuu and Chad had already left, although their absence wasn't noticed. Everyone seemed preoccupied with their thoughts and lives as they ambled home.

When Ichigo got home he ate his dinner and retreated to his room. He wasn't sure how he managed to get so lucky with Byakuya, but he was sure as hell going to make the most of it. Byakuya was just so amazingly attractive- he had long touchable hair, those eyes that shone like polished steel, and a graceful, elegant body.

Ichigo had been fortunate enough to catch glimpses of Byakuya as they changed for P.E throughout the year. The dark haired boy was muscular, with broad shoulders and a strong physique. His hips were a gift from the Gods and his legs- holy shit his legs were from a whole other planet entirely. Ichigo could feel warmth spreading throughout his body and a haze fall over his mind. His pants seemed too tight all of a sudden, and-

The red head shook himself out of his daze.

"What the fuck am I doing?" he mumbled to himself.

**A/N**

** Guess who's back**

**Back again**

**Ro is back**

**Tell a friend.**

**Idek what I'm doing, feel free to bitch about me in the review section.**

**I am honestly the trashiest piece of trash that ever existed for not updating this fic in like, half a year. My friend reminded me of this stupid story the other day and I thought "Well fuck me sideways, I haven't updated that piece of crap in ages. I had better shit something out so I feel like less of a commitment shy failure" and thus this chapter was born.**

**I'm not sure where this story is going as I lost my plot points /is shot/ but I like what I was doing so I'll try and do more of the same.**

**YES RUKIA IS A LESBIAN IN THIS FIC AND YES THERE ARE UNPOPULAR SHIPS I AM SORRY IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION TO FORCE MY LOVE OF TITS ONTO RUKIA, I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD PLOT THING.**

**Plz do not hurt me, I am a simple meme farmer.**

**Also sorry for any mistakes, I literally only put this through spellcheck and that's it.**


	8. Rukia's Side of Things

**Sorry, I am trash and I am lonely someone pls date me.**

**Warning for Alcoholism[kinda]!**

Rukia kicked an empty soda can as she trudged down the footpath. Her shoulders slumped lazily and her head hung low, as if her neck no longer had the strength or resolve to keep her chin up.

Rukia didn't want to go home. Her sister was in the hospital again, and the house would be empty and cold without her. She didn't feel like she could go to Ichigo's house either; it was getting harder and harder for her to look him in the eye. Everyday Oriheme glanced at Ichigo with sad eyes Rukia grew more jealous of the strawberry. She was jealous of his happiness of course, but most of all she was jealous of Oriheme's affection.

At the same time she had to go home. The cat needed to be fed and chores needed to be done. Rukia disliked cleaning, hell, she hated it, but she always tried to make the house presentable for when her sister came home. It was tradition.

It was also tradition for Rukia to slather herself with make-up, grab her (fake) ID and hit the town. Rukia Kuchiki needed to get well and truly pissed. Only then would a solution to her stupid, inconvenient, almost blasphemous feelings present itself.

She also just really liked vodka.

Rukia stumbled into the crowded bar. She didn't know what it was called, and she wasn't convinced that she cared. She had lost one of her shoes at a nightclub about three doors down, and the other had followed somewhere along the way. Even Rukia had to admit she was at an all time low in the shoe department, although the cool pavement felt reassuring, almost comforting under her bare feet.

The pub had a nice atmosphere; laughter and light music filled the air. The lighting was soft, but bright enough for her eyes to stop straining as they were when she was making her way to the establishment through unlit alleyways.

A sudden spark of recognition flashed behind Rukia's eyelids as she made her way up to the bar. She had most definitely been here before, but she couldn't put her finger on when. It was probably because she was drunk off her tits. Probably.

The barman served her without even asking for identification. The glazed look in his eyes indicated that alcohol hadn't been the only poison the man had fed into his system that night, although Rukia reasoned that she had no right to judge him. She was the one who was drinking away her sorrows and woes after all.

The dark haired girl took in her surroundings as she made her way (slightly shakily) to a secluded booth near the back of the bar. The seat was warm and soft, and it made Rukia wonder what laying with Oriheme would be like. The girl was baffled by how quickly her thoughts would jump to the object of her affections, and if she was honest it annoyed her how far she'd fallen for the red head.

Oriheme was the embodiment of warmth; her smile was warm, her coats were warm, her house was always just the right temperature for a good nap. Oriheme's hands were warm, and her words were too. Oh God could Oriheme make a dismal situation seem like a golden opportunity. She had a way about her - Rukia couldn't find words of her own to describe it. She was realistic, but at the same time she could make even the easiest of objectives into a fairy tale quest, making everyone's life an adventure that no-one ever seemed to thank her for.

She'd been through so much. Seen so much death, and been so brave through every ordeal that life threw at her. And Rukia couldn't muster up the courage to ask her out on a date.

Rukia's head fell and she slumped into the back of her seat. She felt so stupid in her sequined dress and fancy make-up. She should be at Oriheme's right now, facing her fear, but no; she was hiding in alcohol just like the coward she knew herself to be. Oriheme deserved so much better than the stupid, shallow girl she had become.

At that thought Rukia began to cry. Only a few lonely tears travelled down her cheek at first, but they were soon joined by many more. They joined and separated on her face, comrades continuously bumping in and out of touch.

She was content to sit there and drown in her misery. Rukia honestly thought that she deserved all the pain her dulled, irrational mind dealt her, and she sure as fuck deserved to soldier through it alone. With these thoughts and feelings swimming around in that pretty little head of hers it's no wonder she almost jumped sky high when a tissue was suddenly thrust in front of her face.

She looked up with startled eyes, tears still making their solemn journey down her pale cheeks.

She didn't know who to expect to see when she looked up, but Miss Matsumoto, a _teacher_ was not on the list of possibilities.  
Rukia didn't know what to say. She didn't know what she _could _ say. It's not every day you get a teacher come up to you and hand you a tissue as you're crying, alone and drunk in a bar.

The dark haired girl took the tissue and wiped her eyes, any concern she would have had for her eyeliner was long gone.

"Can I sit?" Miss Matsumoto asked, gesturing to the seat across from Rukia.  
"Sure, I guess." _'What does she want?'_  
"Thanks honey. Rukia, isn't it?"  
"Yes Miss." Rukia couldn't manage to force out more than a few words at a time. Her voice had left her, and she was unsure of where she stood with Matsumoto.  
"Please, enough with the "Miss". Call me Rangiku; I'm not at work so it's fine, I promise."  
"Ok..." Rukia trailed off before finding her voice again, "so why are you here?"

Rangiku and Rukia talked until closing time. Rukia was amazed by how much she opened up, to her _teacher_ of all people. Rangiku was amazed by how she didn't notice that someone as cute as Rukia was taking one of her classes.

Rukia couldn't go home the way she was, drunk and half asleep. Not by herself, anyway.

Rangiku couldn't let the dark haired girl leave by herself in good conscience. All sorts of things could happen to a young lady in her state, and Rukia didn't need to deal with anything else right now.

After a bit of persuading Rukia agreed to stay the night at Rangiku's place. It was a Friday night so there weren't going to be any weird questions as to why they would have arrived into school at the same time. Saturday was a day to relax and sleep of hangovers for both of them.

Rangiku had hoped that the girl had sobered up some, but she was still wobbly and had entered into the giggly, impulsive stage of inebriation. The red head didn't want to admit that it was pretty cute, even though she was worried for the girl.

They stumbled slightly as they walked through the quiet streets. Rangiku had her arm around the younger girl, supporting a large portion of her weight. They chattered as they travelled down to Rangiku's apartment. The conversation was light and their smiles were bright.  
Right then Rangiku felt more like a friend than a teacher, and she was truly grateful for the company.

When they finally stumbled inside the apartment Rangiku left the petite dark haired girl on the sofa as she went to prepare one of the guest rooms. By the time she got back Rukia was already asleep, he small form curled up into a ball hugging one of the cushions.  
The red head couldn't help but smile. She fetched a blanket and gently draped it over the girl before turning off the lights and heading to bed herself.

-**A/N also I am super gay****TM **

**Idk what I'm even doing with this I just thought I'd make everyone a lesbian and then get back to Byakubae and Ichibae next chapter or smth i don't really know man dude bro man gurl**

**Rangiku is like pansexual or some shit idk, all u need to know is that she likes both chicks and dicks but she also has morals**TM **so no she's not going to do crap with rukia because she's underage and also her student jfc idek why i wrote this chapter ? i just felt guilty 4 never updating and shit? And also i love the gaye**TM **?**

**Well anyways I'm a lonely mess thanks 4 reading &amp; stuff u r seriously amazing for making it this far in this crappy story &amp; crappy chapter &amp; crappy authors note**

**I love you guys**

**Catch u later I guess**

**Ro *Imagine it's a dramatic signature pls***

**Also this had only been spellchecked as usual so if there are any stupid mistakes pls let me know thank u**


	9. The Day of the Date

The Day of the Date (of Doom)

Yuzu sighed as she heard her older brother fussing over what to wear through the wall that separated their bedrooms. He would take a shirt from his wardrobe (which she could discern from the clinking of the metal hanger), hold it up against himself in front of the mirror to see how it looked, inhale thoughtfully, and then throw it onto the bed with a frustrated sigh.  
While Karin found it amusing, Yuzu thought it was sweet that he wanted to make a good impression for his date. It had been a while since Ichigo had properly looked forward to something, and it was good for him to branch out a bit - get to know new people.

Ichigo didn't know what the hell he should wear. Rukia had said go for smart- casual, but what the fuck did that _mean? _He knew smart, he knew casual. They generally weren't things that went together.

Realising that if he didn't hurry up he would be late for his date, Ichigo threw on a plain white shirt and his good jeans. He hoped he looked alright; he didn't want Byakuya to think he wasn't making an effort. He wanted to look _good _for Byakuya; he wanted to impress him. He wasn't sure why, but he knew he did.

Ichigo slunk through the kitchen, wary of his father and the goat face's prying manner. It was none of the old sods business where he was going, and he wasn't about to volunteer the information.

After managing to evade his dad and successfully reach the outside world Ichigo headed towards the town centre, away from the residential area of Karakura. It was a bit of a walk to get to the cinema where he was meeting Byakuya but he enjoyed the fresh air and the clear sky.

Unfortunately, that clear sky became not so clear very quickly, and Ichigo was forced to take shelter in a shop doorway to avoid being soaked to the bone. He had no proper coat. All he'd thought to bring was a hoodie, and it wasn't doing much to keep the rain off him.

The downpour showed no signs of easing up after ten minutes and Ichigo was beginning to become anxious. What if he was late? What if Byakuya was already there, waiting for him out in the cold? What if Byakuya thought he had forgotten about their date - or worse; what if he thought the strawberry was standing him up?

A million 'what-ifs' swarmed around in Ichigo's brain, throwing him into a panic. He swallowed thickly and tried to calm himself. His resolve returned - he _would _make it to his date, regardless of what was falling from the heavens. He refused to be stranded while Byakuya waited for him only a little way across town.

Ichigo made a dash for it, he pulled his hood up over his bright orange hair and ran from the alcove through the wet, paved streets.

Byakuya found it hard to contain his disappointment. Ichigo was fifteen minutes late, and he hadn't called or messaged to let him know that he was running behind time.

Byakuya's watched ticked in time with his heartbeat. Each synchronised thump was another moment Ichigo wasn't there, and with every second that passed he got more and more anxious.

Five more minutes passed.

_He isn't coming._

Byakuya ignored this thought and instead focused on a raindrop making its way down the cinema's big glass window. I meandered on its own for a bit, before joining with another and gaining speed on its downward journey.

Another three minutes passed.

Byakuya became impatient. Waiting there was futile- he was wasting his time.

He wandered out into the rain. He wasn't sure where he wanted to go, he just knew he needed to not be inside the stuffy, salt scented cinema lobby.

Perhaps he was being a tad melodramatic, but Byakuya didn't care. A tear escaped his eye and travelled down his cheek, much like the raindrop on the pane of glass.

He was fragile. Not many people realised this- hell, most of the time Byakuya chose to ignore it himself- but he was. He was delicate and when Ichigo, someone he really, _really _liked stood him up, it hurt him deeply.

It was stupid; he always found it funny that he was normally so stoic, but when it came to love or friendship he always freaked out and let all of his built up emotions out, whether it was by laughing or crying or a mixture of both.

Byakuya straightened up with a jolt as he felt someone grab his arm. He spun quickly on his heel to find Ichigo- red faced, soaking wet, and out of breath- bent over slightly with his hand firmly grabbing onto his arm.

The red head looked up, and almost immediately started babbling.  
"I am so sorry Byakuya, I couldn't- well you see, I couldn't decide what to wear and then the rain - and I tried to wait it out but- but it wasn't stopping so I just ran for it, but I'm so late and I'm so, so sorry - oh fuck you're soaked- are you ok? We should probably get inside somewhere, I mean it's raining pretty hard- you weren't waiting out here for me this whole time were you? Shit I am so sor-"

Ichigo shut up as warm arms enveloped him in a hug. He didn't hesitate to wrap his own arms around Byakuya and rest his head on the taller boy's chest.

"I thought you weren't coming."

As Byakuya said it the red head could hear the feebly masked emotion in his voice.  
Ichigo buried his face deeper into Byakuya's coat covered chest and whispered: "I am so sorry Byakuya, I swear I'll make it up to you."  
"It wasn't your fault Ichigo. I know you got caught in the rain. I'm just glad you're here now." Byakuya gave Ichigo a squeeze and pulled away. "You're soaked to the skin. No way are we going anywhere while you run a risk of getting a cold."  
"I'm fine, really."

Byakuya looked him over. "No."  
With that he hailed a taxi and pulled Ichigo inside. After getting Ichigo to (reluctantly) give the driver his address, they set off back to Ichigo's house. There warm tea and hot showers awaited them, and they would have just as much fun sitting and taking together as they would have sitting in silence and being over charged to watch a film in the cinema.

**A/N sorry this sucks.**

**I don't know what I'm doing anymore I'm just so gay and so unable to function in stressful situations like how the hell am I going to survive and thrive in life?**

**Please review and stuff and let me know what you think of this chapter.**

**Also EruditeElephant well done but u missed one**


	10. Super Important Update Please Read

**A/N ****So I know this story has gotten a really good response and I'm really proud of all the followers and favourites it's accumulated, but I absolutely hate it. I re-read it today and I'm honestly embarrassed by how poor the writing quality and general plot is. The characters are not portrayed well, and the setting and time frame is unrealistic and idealistic.**

**Because of this I have decided to discontinue this story. If there's no response to this chapter I'll just delete the story as a whole. It sucks so bad.**

**I don't mind leaving the story online but I'm not going to write any more for it is what I'm basically trying to say.**

**Thank you to everyone who followed, favourited, reviewed or simply read my story. You all really made me more confident as a writer and helped me to improve enough to see this story, which I used to be so proud of, as the piece of shit it is.**

**okies so it's been suggested (rather brilliantly) that instead of just getting rid of this story I put it up for adoption. If anyone is interested please PM me and I'll basically just find a way to send you the files for the chapters.**

**If you adopt, the story is yours to modify and change as you wish. If you do leave the pre-existing chapters unchanged then please do mention in the A/N that I wrote them. Please.**

**That's it really.**

**Sorry for sucking so bad!**

**Much love,**

**Ro**


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